Project R-16878

Solar Cookers 4 All (Sc4All): Expanding collaboration and community engagement to Uganda (Education)

The proposed DIOS project builds further on the Solar Cookers 4 All (Sc4All) project and seeks synergies with the recently approved VLIR-UOS TEAM project. Within the TEAM project, Akiiki vzw acts as an important bridge toward the local community of Awoimuju in Uganda. Through this collaboration, the consortium aims to explore opportunities for community-based implementation of the Sc4All approach and to strengthen long-term local engagement around sustainability challenges. In this respect, in the community of Awoimuju, access to water remains a significant challenge. Within the Sc4All context, water is not only essential for cooking activities, but also closely linked to food security, community resilience, and local sustainability initiatives. To address this challenge, the project foresees exploratory work related to a solar-powered water pump system. While Uganda is already included within the broader TEAM framework, no Ugandan academic partner is currently involved. Therefore, another important objective of this DIOS project is to explore and initiate potential collaborations with Ugandan academic institutions or researchers. Overall, the project seeks to deepen international cooperation, stimulate interdisciplinary exchange, and foster socially engaged innovation around sustainable cooking technologies, renewable energy, water access, art, and community empowerment in East Africa. Beyond the immediate activities, the project aims to strengthen the long-term ecosystem around Sc4All by creating opportunities for future internships, student mobility, research collaboration, and broader international engagement between UHasselt and partners in Uganda.

01 September 2026 - 31 August 2027